Snowed In
by JoAFreak
Summary: First of three. At least, hopefully. The Girardi's go on a winter vacation, take in an unexspected guest, reaquaint with and old friend, and are snowed in at their northern Virginian cabin. WillHelen pairing mostly. My first story. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

Will is sitting at his desk. The clock in his office reads 11:57pm. He feels guilty, since he hadn't called home to tell his wife he would be running much later than usual. Just as he was about to get up from his chair, Roy Roebuck walks in.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Roebuck states.

"No. I was just about to leave for home." Will replies.

"Well, I won't keep you long. I know you'd like to get home to your wife. Will, you've worked really hard these last few months…"

"What are you saying boss?" Will asked nervously.

"I'm offering you some vacation time with the holiday season coming up." Roebuck answers.

"Oh. That's okay. You don't have to. We never go anywhere for Christmas."

"Would you at least ask your wife?"

"I will."

"Well, you have a good night." Roebuck said.

"Yeah. You, too." Will stated.

Roebuck leaves. Will paces. There is clearly something troubling him. Which now reads 12:03am. Will leaves the building. He stands outside in the frigid air for a moment then reaches inside his coat pocket to pull out a box of cigarettes. He takes one out and is about to light it when looks at his watch. Will ponders a while and decides to put the cigarette back into the box. He walks over to his car. He searches for his keys. Then, he gets into the car and drives off.

At home, Helen is reading a book in front of a crackling fire. She raises her head, when she hears the front door open and close. A yawn slips out. She closes her book and takes off her reading glasses. She sets them on the coffee table in front of her. Will walks into the room.

"Hey." He states.

"Hey." Helen replies.

Will walks over and sits down next to his wife.

"You're home late." Helen inquires.

"I'm sorry I meant to call, but I just had so much work left to do…"

"It's okay." Helen assures him.

"What are you doing up so late?" Will asked.

"I was waiting for you." Helen replied.

"Well, you're a very good wife." Will states.

Helen leans forward, as if expecting a kiss. She never receives one. She knows that their relationship had kind of been falling apart in the past few months. She sits back, but her hand bumps something unusual in Will's pocket. Helen pulls out the cigarette box.

"Oh, Helen." Will complains.

"William Girardi, what is this?" Helen asks.

Will opens the box.

"Look. There's not one missing." Will states.

Helen sets the box on the table in front of them. She takes Will by the hands. I t is obvious that she is very concerned about her husband.

"Will…" Helen begins.

"Oh, come on, Helen." Will pleads.

Helen slightly raises her voice, "Listen to me!"

"Okay." Will backs down.

"What's the matter?" Helen asks.

"Nothing." Will replies.

"Then, why are you so unhappy?"

"I'm not."

"Well, I don't want to start an argument, so I'll leave it at that."

Helen moves her hands into her lap. They both sit in silence, until Will speaks.

"I've been offered some vacation time." Will says.

"That's wonderful, Will." Helen exclaims.

"Should I take it?"

"It's your decision."

"Where would you go?" Will asks.

"We don't have to go anywhere. But personally, I've always wanted to go to northern Virginia for Christmas." Helen replied.

"I guess I'll take it." Will says without expression.

"Are you sure nothing's wrong?" Helen tries again.

"Yeah." Will states.

Helen is still not convinced, but she kisses her husband on the cheek and heads upstairs. Will stayed as the fire died down.

Helen is climbing the stairs slowly, when she is startled by Joan coming down.

"What are you doing up?" Helen asked.

"I couldn't sleep." Joan replied.

"Well, don't bother your father."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"That's the thing. I don't know. He won't tell me."

Joan becomes suspicious and continues her descent down the stairs.

Joan passes by her father sitting in front of the fire.

"What's wrong?" Joan tries to pry out of him.

"Nothing, sweetheart." He answers.

"Well, Mom's worried about you. At least tell her what's wrong."

Will gets slightly upset. "There's nothing wrong!"

"Okay. I'm sorry."

Joan starts to make a sandwich. Will gets up from the couch. He heads upstairs

Will enters his bedroom. Soft music is playing in the background, Michael Bolton's 'We're Not Making Love Anymore.' Helen is sitting up in bed reading the newspaper, since she left her book downstairs. Will starts to change into his pajamas. Not a word is exchanged between the two of them during this process. He soon climbs into bed.

"What's wrong?" Helen asked again.

"Why does everyone think something is wrong?" Will sat up.

"Will, I can tell." There's a pause. "You can tell me."

"There's nothing wrong!"

"We haven't talked in the past few months…"

"We're talking now, aren't we?"

"You know what I mean." Helen states.

There's silence.

"Is it your job? Is it the kids?… Is it me?" Helen questions.

"Helen…"

"Is it another woman?" Helen timidly asked.

"God, Helen. No." Will answers, almost appalled that she'd suspect that.

"You and I both know we haven't been the couple we used to be."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Helen is tired of trying.

"You know. Forget it. Never mind. If you're not going to tell me, then so be it." Helen stated. She turned out the lights and lied down.

"Helen." Will states.

Helen doesn't respond.

"I'm sorry." Will kissed her on the cheek and went to sleep.

The next day. Joan, Adam, and Grace are all walking to AP Chem. There are Christmas decorations overflowing the hallways.

"What's with all these Christmas decorations? Can't they at least respect others' religions?" Grace asked.

"Yeah. I agree totally. Not that I don't celebrate Christmas…" Joan stated.

"I hate the holiday season."

"Why?"

"I just do!" Grace replied angrily.

"What's your problem? Can't you respect others' religions?" Joan questions.

Grace storms off.

"What nerve was that?" Joan asked

Adam doesn't respond.

"What are you doing over the break?" Joan asked.

"I don't know. What about you?" Adam stated.

"We don't really do anything for Christmas. I mean, we exchange gifts and all. Oh, and, by the way. I got something for you." Joan reaches in and pulls a small box out of her backpack. She hands it to Adam.

"Gee. Thanks." Adam states.

"Go ahead. Open it."

Adam opens the box to find five paint brushes each etched with his name on it.

"You really didn't have to get these for me." Adam said.

"Well, I knew you were painting a lot lately, and you kept telling me how crummy your old brushes were." Joan stated.

Helen is sitting in Mr. Price's office, waiting for his arrival. She nervously runs her fingers through her hair. Mr. Price walks in. Helen stands up.

"What is it?" Mr. Price asks. He walks over and sits down at his desk.

"I was just wondering. The family and I are planning to go on a vacation. And I might need few extra days off." Helen stated.

"How many?"

"I'm sorry?"

"How many extra days would you need?" Price questioned.

"Oh. One. Possibly two, tops." Helen replied.

"That's fine. Doesn't seem like it would be a problem."

"Thank you, Mr. Price."

Helen just stands there. Mr. Price continues to work.

"Uh. I'll let you get back to work." Helen states.

"I'd appreciate that." Price says.

Helen leaves Mr. Price's office. She walks through the main office. Marlene stops her.

"Helen, are you okay?" Marlene asks.

Helen looks as if she didn't get hardly any sleep.

"Yeah. Why do you ask?" Helen questions.

"You just don't seem happy."

"It's nothing."

"You know you can talk to me about anything."

Helen sits down. Marlene walks over and sits down next to her.

"What is it?" Marlene concern asks.

"It's Will."

"Mm-hmm."

"Well, I don't know. He just seems so unhappy, all of the time. I don't understand. I try to find out what's wrong, but he's doing a good job of hiding it. What am I supposed to do?"

"I'm not sure if there's anything you can do." Marlene responds.

Will walks into the main office. He looks slightly worried.

"Will." Helen exclaims.

"I looked in your classroom. I have something I need to tell you." Will states.

"You couldn't have called?" Helen asks.

Will doesn't respond.

"Excuse us, Marlene." Helen says.

"Sure." Marlene replies.

Helen and Will walk out of the main office and down the hallway toward Helen's classroom. The bell rings. Students start pouring out of classrooms. Helen takes Will by the hand, which surprises him. They struggle their way through the crowd. They finally reach Helen's classroom. They go inside. Helen closes the door behind them.

"I won't be long." Will states.

"That's alright. I have another few period."

"I was wondering. How many days do you plan this vacation will last?"

"Well, I was thinking about a week. We leave the thirteenth and come back on the twentieth. That way we'll have a few days before Christmas."

"I don't know if that's going to work."

"Why? What's the matter, Will?"

"Helen…"

"What?"

"Roebuck was found dead this morning."

Helen gasps.

End chapter one. Please review. The next chapter will be posted as soon as possible. JoAFreak


	2. Chapter 2

"How did that happen?" Helen questioned.

"All we know is that he was killed by gunshot. We got some information from Washington, D.C. a few days ago. It mentioned a fugitive loose in the Atlantic Coast area. They didn't give us a description or even a name. How does that help?"

"You think it's him?" Helen inquired.

"Things have been slow lately. It's a reasonable answer, but I don't know."

Helen then realizes why her husband came to her. "So, the vacation's off?" Helen asks disappointedly.

"I can't do that to you."

"Will, if you're telling me to take the kids and you're staying here, no. I don't want to go if you're not coming. Believe it or not, I think you need this vacation, too."

"I'll try to work things out."

Helen is slightly depressed now. Will realizes this, but being in the mood he is, he does nothing about it.

"Bye." Will states.

"Bye." Helen replies.

Helen is in the kitchen finishing up dinner. Joan walks in followed by Luke and Kevin.

"Hey, Mom." Joan stated.

"Hey, honey." Helen replied.

"Anything we can do to help?" Kevin asked.

"You can set the table. Thank you." Helen said.

Luke and Kevin head to the table and start setting.

"I'm tired." Joan complained.

"Well, it's your fault you were up late last night." Helen stated.

"I couldn't sleep!"

Joan remembers her father's emotions last night.

"Mom?" Joan asked.

"What?" Helen replied.

"Are you and Dad getting along?"

"Joan, you don't need to worry about us."

"I'm not. Well… I guess I am. What's wrong with him?"

"I told you. I don't know. Let us handle this, okay?

"I'm sorry. I was just trying to help."

"I know." Helen states. She stands for a while, then breaks out into tears.

"I'm fine." Helen states.

Joan gives her mother a hug, then heads in to help Luke and Kevin.

Will walks through the front door.

Helen hears this and quickly tries to pull it together and wipe away her tears.

"Everything's ready." Helen states.

Everyone goes into the dining room and sits down at the table. They begin eating, in silence.

"Have you told them, yet?" Will asks.

"I'm sorry, what." Helen asks in return.

"I got the time off."

"Oh, Will." Helen states, almost beaming with happiness.

"What is this about?" Kevin questions.

"Your father and I have decided to go on a Christmas vacation." Helen replies.

"Wow! That's fantastic! When do we leave?"

"Thursday." Helen stated.

"You already booked something?" Will questions.

"Wait!" Kevin exclaims.

Everyone falls silent.

"Are you telling me we have two days to pack?" Kevin finishes.

The three teens each panic and get up from the table.

"Hey!" Helen exclaims. "You don't have to pack right now. You have plenty of time."

The three of them return to their seats.

"So, what did you book?" Will asked curiously. He is still surprised that his wife had already planned everything.

"It's a small cabin. Two bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen, and a living area. It's basically, in the middle of nowhere, except for a small church up the road and a few other cabins."

"That sounds interesting." Luke states.

"Where did this come from? We never go on Christmas vacations. I mean we haven't been on any in the past five years."

"Well, your father was offered some vacation time." Helen stated.

"Sweet." Joan replied.

It's Wednesday. Will and Helen are in their bedrooms packing.

"You said this place had only two bedrooms…" Will inquired.

Helen realizes where her husband is going. "There's two sleepover sofas."

"Oh."

Will and Helen continue packing in silence.

"I feel bad about leaving, you know with what happened." Will states.

"Will, if you going to ruin it for the rest of us, then stay here! I just thought that we could maybe, just possibly, have a normal family vacation and be with each other. I don't know about the kids, but it's pretty clear that you don't want to be spending time with your wife."

Helen storms out of the bedroom. Will is left there to think.

"What did I say?" Will asked himself.

Luke walks by Joan's bedroom.

"What should I pack? Is it going to be cold?" Luke asked.

"I don't know, geek. Just be prepared for anything." Joan replies.

Kevin rolls by. "She's right. Who knows it might be summer in Virginia." Kevin stated.

"Summer in Virginia?" Luke questions.

"Just go pack." Joan tells Luke. "We're leaving tomorrow."

"Right." Luke says.

The next day, Will and Luke are loading everything into the car. Kevin rolls out.

"It's a little nippy out here." Kevin states.

"Hope you packed your long underwear." Will joked.

"Long underwear?" Luke pondered. "That's what I forgot!"

"Chill, Luke. He's kidding." Kevin says.

Will and Kevin laugh. Helen walks outside in a long winter's coat. She notices Will laughing. She smiles. Will looks up at her. His face changes from laughter to sorrow. It appears as if he's trying to Helen he's sorry with his facial expression. Helen thinks to herself, "Maybe, this was a good idea." She goes down and greets Kevin and Luke. Will just looks at her, then smiles. She walks and gets in the passenger's seat. Joan walks out. Her hair hasn't been combed. It's obvious she's not a morning person.

"Hey, sweetheart." Will greets her.

"I'm still sleepy." Joan states.

"You can sleep on the way. Maybe it'll be quiet." Will laughs.

"Hey!" Joan exclaims, giving her father a friendly push.

Will puts his arm around his daughter and leads her to the car. He helps her in. Will gets in the car as well.

"Is everyone ready?" He asks.

There is mixed replies.

Later on down the road. 'Up Where We Belong' is softly playing in the background.

"How much longer?" Joan complains.

"At least we're out of Washington." Will states.

Will reaches to the radio and turns it up.

_/ Love lift us up where we belong,_

_Where the eagles cry,_

_On a mountain high._

_Love lift us up where we belong…/_

Helen cracks a smile. Will smiles.

"What kind of music is this?" Kevin asks.

"Sorry." Will replies.

He changes the channel. 'Alone' by Heart is playing.

"Here we are." Helen states.

"This is where we're staying?" Joan questions.

"Yeah." Helen regards.

"Well, let's start unpacking." Will says.

Helen goes to grab her bag, but Will picks it up.

"I'll carry it for you." He states.

"Thank you." Helen replies.

"Hey, Mom?" Kevin asks.

"Yes?" She answers.

"Do you want us to help with the groceries?" Kevin offers to help.

"I forgot all about that. That would be wonderful." She states, grabbing a few bags herself.

Inside the cabin, everyone is settling in and putting groceries away.

"I'm going for a walk." Will states as he walks out the door.

"Wait!" Joan exclaims. "Let me go with you."

Will walks out the door and down the sidewalk. Joan rushes after him and grabs and hand. Will is taken by surprise.

"You're never to old to hold your father's hand." Joan laughs.

Will kisses her on the forehead, and they walk on hand in hand.

Helen stands at the front door. She thinks to herself, "He'll hold his daughter's hand, when he won't even talk to his wife." She shuts the door and goes back inside.


	3. Chapter 3

Will and Joan walk on down the road. They pass a few of the other cabins, then they come to the church. There's a bench in front of it, so they go and sit down. Will wraps his arm around his daughter.

"Do you still love Mom?" Joan asks in favor of her mother.

"Why, of course I do, Joan." Will replies.

"Then, what's wrong between you guys?"

"Honey…"

"I'm not trying to be nosy. I just want to know what's going on."

"It's nothing to worry about." Will stated.

" That's what Mom said. Then, she started to cry." Joan said.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

There's a pause while Will's contemplates what to do.

"Come on. Let's head back." He states.

"Okay." Joan replies.

Meanwhile, back at the cabin, Helen is sitting with Luke and Kevin. There's not a sound except for the crackling of a fire and the slurping sound Helen makes when she sips her coffee. Suddenly, there's a knock at the door. Helen gets up from her comfortable couch and sets her coffee down. She goes to the door to find a man Ty Parker in ragged clothes, freezing.

"May I come in?" Ty asks.

"Oh, sure." Helen replies. "Are you okay?"

Ty goes to the fire and sits in front of it.

"What happened?" Kevin asked Ty.

"I was hiking a trail, and I got lost." Ty replied.

"Here let me get you some warm clothes." Helen stated and headed upstairs to hers and Will's room. She rummages through Will's shirts and sweatpants. She finally finds some. The shirt's flannel material is soft on her hands. She holds it up to her face and takes a whiff. Her face crumbles, but she knows she can't break down now. She also grabs a blanket and heads back downstairs.

"Here you go, Mr. …" Helen inquires.

"Parker. Ty Parker." Ty states.

"Helen, um.. Girardi." Helen says, almost awestruck.

Ty stares at her. He finds her attractive, her figure, her eyes.

"Oh. This is Kevin." Helen states

"Hey." Kevin says.

"And this is Luke." Helen adds.

"Hi." Luke replies.

"There's a bathroom right over there. Where you can change." Helen tells Ty.

"I really appreciate this." Ty thanks.

"Sure." Helen states.

Ty walks over to the bathroom, looks back at Helen, and goes inside. At this instant, Will opens the door. Helen jumps in alarm.

"We're back." Will states.

Joan runs over to the fireplace and sits next to Kevin.

"Something's wrong with the parental units." Joan whispers to him.

"What?" Kevin asks.

"I don't know. We gotta help 'em." Joan responds.

"How?"

"We'll figure something out."

Will walks over to Helen. He looks her in the eye with no words exchanged. He timidly places his hand on her waist and pulls her into a hug.

"I'm sorry." He whispers in her ear.

Helen doesn't know what going on, but she can see her husband for the first time in the last few months. Ty walks out of the bathroom and their hug breaks.

"Oh, my God." Will states.

"Calm down. It's okay." Helen assures him. "Ty. This is my husband, Will."

"Nice to meet you." Ty extends his hand.

They shake.

"Helen, what's going on?" Will asks.

"Will, he was outside, freezing to death. I had to take him in." Helen replies.

"You shouldn't do that. He could be a dangerous criminal for all you know."

"He seems sincere."

"That's because all criminals have good acting skills."

"Stop it, Will." Helen steps away from her husband. "Ty, this is Joan."

"Hello, Joan." Ty says.

"Hi." Joan states, not really paying attention.

"I'm going to go upstairs and take a nap." Will states.

Will climbs the stairs. He walks into the bedroom. He lays down on the bed and tries to get comfortable. A picture catches his eye on the nightstand beside Helen's side of the bed. It's a picture a them, taken about a year back. He eyes get watery.

Back downstairs, Helen is back on the couch reading a magazine. Kevin, Joan, Luke, and Ty are sitting a the table playing a game of cards.

Helen is flipping through the magazine, when she flips to a page that catches her attention. The page is titled: Is it You or Him? Take the quiz. She grabs a nearby pen. The first question asks: Do you know your husband loves you? Helen marks "Sometimes." The next question reads: Are you communicating in well-rounded conversations? Helen places her hand on her mouth in thought. She knows they sometimes talk, but it's not much of a conversation. So, she marks "No." The third question asks: Are you lonely in this relationship? Helen looks around the room at the fire place where the fire had died down to almost nothing. She heard the laughter that Kevin, Joan, and Luke were producing as Ty told them some of his stories. Helen smiles. She marks "Yes."

Upstairs, Will is now sitting up and reading a book. He also here's the laughter and feels he's being left out. He takes off his reading glasses, carefully lays the book down, and quietly tiptoes downstairs. He walks up behind Helen, her not noticing.

"Whatcha doing?" Will asks.

Helen jumps back in alarm and pulls the magazine to her chest to prevent Will from seeing it.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Will soothes.

"Oh. It's alright." Helen responds.

Will walks to the kitchen and starts to make some popcorn in the microwave. Helen continues to finish the quiz. She is down to question seven which reads: Do you feel you can trust your husband? Helen doesn't even think. She automatically marks "Yes."

The timer to the microwave beeps. Will opens the door and the buttery aroma fills the room. It causes Ty to stop talking and take it in.

"Anyone want to watch a movie?" Will asked. He thought it was a good idea. The TV didn't pick up any channels but there was a DVD player.

"Yeah." Joan exclaims.

Everyone moves to the living area. Will puts in 'It's A Wonderful Life'. He goes over and sits next to Joan who is covered up with a quilt. Helen is alone on the couch, still. She slips off her shoes and sits cross-legged. Again, she goes back to the magazine. Question nine asks: Have and your husband been intimate in the past few months? Helen feels this ache in her chest. Her stomach becomes weak. She leans back on the couch and sighs. She marks "No."

Will is staring curiously at his wife. Joan had fallen asleep on his shoulder and was slightly snoring. Helen looked up at him. She gave him his a forlorn look and went back to the final question. It read: Have you been married for over twenty years? Of course, Helen didn't have to think about this one either. She marked "Yes." She, then, totaled up her scores and read the bottom. Out of the three possible outcomes, she got "It's Both of You." The description underneath read: It's not entirely just your husband. It's you, as well. Don't wait for him to talk or make a move. It's your responsibility to be honest to him, just as much as it is his to be honest to you. Helen leans back on the couch. She thinks thoroughly about this. It's not very often she empties her mind to think about one thing.

An alarm goes off in her head. She doesn't quite know why, but she realizes it's about time to make dinner.

Everyone is finishing up their dinner. There hasn't been much of a conversation during the whole meal.

"Thanks, Mom. Dinner was great." Kevin stated.

"Sure." Helen replied.

Kevin, Joan, and Luke went back to the living area and started another movie. Will put on his heavy coat and went outside and sat on the porch. Ty and Helen are left at the table.

"I've noticed you and your husband haven't been getting along." Ty stated.

"Excuse me." Helen questioned.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to pry. I just thought I might be able to help."

Helen doesn't feel comfortable talking to a stranger about her problems. She, then, glances down and notices a band of gold on his left hand's ring finger. 'Have You Ever Been In Love' by Celine Dion faintly starts to play. Helen now feels okay about talking to him.

"I love my husband." She states.

"I realize that." Ty responds.

"Something's wrong, but I can't figure out what. And he won't tell me."

"Maybe you should stop trying to fix what's wrong and start anew."

"I never thought about that. But, Will, he's…"

At that moment, Will walks in and realizes his wife is telling some stranger about their relationship.

"What are you doing?" Will asked.

Helen becomes nervous. "Will. Nothing."

"Are you telling this stranger about us?"

"No, Will. It's not like that."

"Oh, I'm sure.

Ty then stands up and tries to defend Helen. "Now. Let's just calm down…"

"Calm down? You're hitting on my wife." Will yells.

"No, he's not." Helen reacts.

"Will. I'm married. I have two kids." Ty adds.

"Oh. Adultery." Will states.

At this moment, Helen is standing behind Ty who is being tormented by Will. She turns around and see the kids staring in fear.

"Kids. Go to your room." Helen states.

They start to head out of the room but are stopped by Will.

"Why do they have to leave?" Will asks. "They're as much a part of our life."

"Will. Please." Helen pleads over tears.

Ty moves out of the way and motions the kids to leave the room. They Kevin, Luke, Joan, and Ty all go into the bedroom. Words of Will's anger seep through the door.

"Helen. You're rambling to someone you've known for a day about our personal life?"

Helen is extremely upset. She's crying so hard, she can't catch her breath. She chokes on her words. "No. Will…" She is hurting so much that she can't finish a train of thought. She begins to walk away. Will forcefully grabs her by the wrists and pulls her back. Helen is frightened. Her husband never touched her harmfully before.

"Don't walk away from me. I'm not finished with you." Will states in an anguished tone.

"Will." Helen manages to get out.

"Don't talk to anyone else about our relationship issues, ever again. Do you understand?" Will asks, shaking Helen.

She can't respond.

"Answer me!"

"Yes." Helen states weakly.

Will lets go of her. She can't hold herself up, so she falls to the ground. Will goes upstairs and slams the door. Ty, Kevin, Joan, and Luke rush out of the bedroom. Ty gets Helen back up on her feet. Helen falls into him. Ty comforts her with a hug. Kevin looks at Luke with a furious look.

"Are you okay, Mom?" Kevin asked.

Helen pulls it together as much as possible. "Yeah. I think I just need to go to bed."

"You're not going up there." Kevin states.

"Kevin. He's my husband."

"Yeah. And he's raging."

"I have to."

Kevin is shocked that his father would do something like this to his mother.

"Be careful." Kevin begs.

Helen climbs the stairs slowly. Kevin, Luke, Joan, and Ty are watching her from the bottom. She turns the doorknob and disappears into the room.

End chapter three. Please review. No chapter four until I get three reviews. Give me some ideas for the upcoming chapters. JoAFreak


	4. Chapter 4

Helen slips in the room. She quietly closes the door. Apparently, Will is in the bathroom. She leans back against the door and considers what she should say to him.

Will is leaning over the sink, constantly bringing up water from the faucet and putting it over his face. He turns off the running water and dries off with a towel. Suddenly, his eyes open wide. He thinks to himself, "What have I done? I just had an outburst directed at my wife, in front of the kids." Will hangs the towel back up. He heads to the door and hears Helen crying.

He stops to think for a moment.

Helen is sobbing. She just can't seem to find out what would make Will, a healthy middle aged man, so unhappy. "Oh, my God." Helen thought when she realized what could possibly be wrong. "He's going through his midlife crisis."

Will comes out of the bathroom. He just stands there for a moment, not being able to face Helen. His eyes shift as he passes by her to get to his side of the bed. He has already changed into his pajamas. Helen moves from in front of the door and heads to the bathroom. She quickly changes into a sleeveless night shirt and flannel pants. Helen comes out of the bathroom. Will stares at his wife. She goes over and sits on his side of the bed. She gives him a feeble look. Will tries to speak.

"Helen, I'm sor…" Will begins.

"Will. It's not okay." Helen darts back.

"I know."

"What's wrong with you?"

"Is it hot in here or is it just me?"

"Will…"

"I'm serious."

Will somewhat fans himself. Sweat begins to appear on his brow. Helen places her hand on his cheek, not expecting to feel very warm skin. She, then, kisses Will on his forehead and brings her cheek down up against his own.

"You do feel warm." Helen states.

Downstairs, Kevin, Joan, and Luke are sitting at the kitchen table starring down at it in silence. Ty is asleep in one of the chairs in the living area.

"Are we all just going to sit here, not saying anything?" Joan asks, concerned.

Luke stupidly asks, "Are they going to get a divorce?"

"No. At least, they better had not." Kevin reprimanded.

"Well, I mean it's their decision." Luke added.

"You know, Luke. Just shut up." Kevin shot back.

"We don't want to think negatively. We don't want Mom and Dad to split. I mean, I don't." Joan stated.

"Me, neither." Kevin said.

"Can we help them?" Luke asked.

"I'm not getting near Dad. He scared me." Joan remarked.

"Yeah, he scared me, too. Mom, too." Kevin added.

"Come on. Can we like hold hands or something." Luke asked, about ready to cry.

Kevin nodded his head in agreement. Joan leaned her head down on Kevin's shoulder, who wrapped his arm around his sister. Luke held Kevin's and Joan's hands.

Back upstairs, Helen is sitting upright on top of the covers. Her legs extend to the end of the bed. She is reading a newspaper article. Will is sitting adjacent to her, not doing anything. Thinking.

"Helen?" Will asked.

"Yes." Helen responded.

"Is this what they call a midlife crisis?"

Helen looked up from her paper. She then laid it down next to the bed and took Will's hand.

"I don't know. That's the only way I could explain your moodiness and reactions. But, I'm not a psychologist, so don't ask me." Helen stated.

"I'm sorry for the way I've been treating you and for what I did to you downstairs." Will apologized.

"Will…"

"No, Helen. It was wrong. And you have every right to hate me and despise me. What am I going to do? How long does this last?"

"It lasts until you choose for it to stop. I want to help you, but I can't if you won't let me. All I have to say is that if you break up this family or knock up some girl half your age, I will personally KILL you."

Helen leaned over and gave her husband a chaste kiss on the cheek. She rolled over to her side. Will spooned up behind her, placing his right arm over her midsection. He moves his right leg so it's slightly on top of Helen's legs. There's a pause, until Will tries to start some humor.

"Why would you think I would knock up a girl half my age. I wouldn't want to share my future Girardis with anyone but you." Will states.

Helen doesn't exactly laugh, but it makes her smile. Will takes his hand and strokes it gently over Helen's cheek. Then, he moves his hand down her neck and tenderly rubs it across her clavicle area. He changes his tone to being serious and moves his hand away.

"I'm so sorry, Helen." He says.

Helen begins to tear up.

"I love you." Will whispers in her ear, and he kisses her on her cheek. Will rolls over to his side of the bed, making a disappointed look appear on Helen's face. She ponders awhile, then slowly closes her eyes and falls asleep.

What do you think.? Short chapter. I need at least three reviews. Please! In Chapter Five, someone will be revealed. JoAFreak


	5. Chapter 5

Helen's alarm clock went off, sending an obnoxious ringing sound throughout the whole cabin. Helen wakes up with a moan. She rolls over and turns off the alarm. Then, she falls back into her pillow. Will awakes and stretches his arms out. He rolls over next to Helen.

"Good morning." Will tells Helen, her face still buried in her pillow.

Will fluffs and messes with her hair a bit. He has somewhat declined out of his mood. He lowers his head and kisses Helen's shoulder blade. This causes her to perk up. Will quickly gets up out of the bed. He slips on his housecoat and heads downstairs.

Helen is left to ponder. She has a perplexed look on her face, as she runs her fingers through her hair. She swings her legs over the edge of the bed and sits there a moment. She strokes the quilt on top on the bed that was sewn in colorful arrays of blue and green. Then, she slips her feet into her fuzzy slippers and heads downstairs, as well.

Kevin and Luke are quietly eating a bowl of cereal. They both notice their mother descending from the stairs. She walks over to them.

"Where's your father?" Helen asks them.

"He's outside, on the porch." Kevin bluntly replies.

Helen walks over to the front door. She slips her long winter's coat, the one with dark brown material and fur around the collar and cuffs. She reaches her hand down to turn the knob, when the door opens. Will is standing on the other side, newspaper in hand. He is apparently coming inside, but he takes Helen by the arm and guides her to the porch swing. They sit down, and Helen lays her head down on Will's shoulder. 'Hard to Say I'm Sorry' by Chicago is lightly playing in the background.

_/Everybody needs a little time away,_

_ I heard her say,_

_ From each other._

_ Even lovers need a holiday,_

_ Far away, from each other._

_ Hold me now._

_ It's hard for me to say I'm sorry…/_

Joan is lying peacefully on the sofa bed in the downstairs bedroom she shared with Kevin and Luke. Her mind drifts away. She falls into a dream.

'Must Be Doing Something Right' by Billy Currington is playing. Joan is now lying on a sandy beach. The flaming sun is beaming down on her. She opens her eyes. The ocean waves wash over her. She stands up, confused. The beaches seem to go on and on, forever. There doesn't seem to be another human being in sight. Joan continues to look up and down the beach until she sees Adam. Strange. Adam being in her dream.

"Adam." Joan calls to him.

Adam just stares at her, not saying a word, as if she's not there. Joan runs to him. But the moment she reaches Adam, he disappears into thin air. Joan falls down into the sand.

"What is the meaning of this?" She asks, talking directly at no one.

"Joan."

Joan hears someone calling her name. It's not Adam, because he is no longer standing there. She picks herself up off the ground. She looks down the beach and sees Ty Parker.

"Joan." Ty states again. "Wake up, Joan."

Joan wakes with a startle. She looks up. Ty is sitting next to her. Joan lays back and tries to fall asleep.

"Come on, Joan." Ty pleads.

Joan doesn't respond.

"You just had a dream about Adam." Ty states.

Joan jolts up from her resting place.

"What are you. A physic?" Joan asks.

"It's up to you. What do you think?" Ty replies with another question.

"Are you, you know,… You?" Joan asks again.

"Yes, Joan. It's me, God. Why can't you just make the assumption on your own for once?" Ty inquires, slightly frustrated.

"Sorry." Joan replies.

"I want you to go to church."

"What? For like the rest of my life?"

"No. I mean, like, today. Go to the church up the street."

"When do services start?" Joan asks with a yawn.

"One hour, so you'd better hurry." Ty states as he walks out the door.

Outside, Will and Helen have been sitting on the swing all morning. Small snowflakes start falling around the house. Helen brings her head up and smiles at Will. She gets up, about ready to go back inside, as Will grabs her hand. He stands up as well.

"Helen…" Will starts. He puts his hands around Helen's waist. Helen wraps her arms around Will. They pull into a hug. "I'm so sorry." Will whispers in Helen's ear. She tears up a bit. Will hugs Helen tighter. "I love you." He whispers again.

Joan, then, rushes out the front door and heads down the front steps. Helen's head turns.

"Where are you going, may I ask?" She asks Joan.

"To the church up the street." Joan replies.

"Why?"

"Because… I am?"

Helen breaks away from Will. "Well, I can't let you go alone." She states.

"Well…" Joan rambles.

"I'll go with you." Helen heads inside.

"Helen, wait." Will states. "I'll go, too."

Helen has an amazed look on her face. Will hadn't gone to a church since they were married. Then, she smiles. They both head inside. Joan walks up and sits on the front steps.

"Where are you going." Kevin ask as Helen and Will rush upstairs.

"To the church up the street with your sister." Helen states, "You can come with us, if you'd like." Then, she follows her husband upstairs.

Kevin and Luke exchange glances and decide to go change.

After a long and peaceful walk, the Girardis reach the small church. There are a few cars parked outside. Will takes Helen by the hand. It's been a long time since he has been in a church, and he appears to be slightly nervous. Helen smiles, and tightly grasps Will's hand. Joan, Kevin, and Luke exchange glances. They all walk into the church.

I know it's short. Chapter six coming ASAP! JoAFreak. I need at least three reviews.


	6. Chapter 6

There is a light at the end of a short hallway. The Girardis have to squeeze close together to maneuver through it. They finally reach a small sanctuary. Five benches and a simple pastor's podium are the only objects that fill the room. Will and Helen head toward the front of the sanctuary, where a dew people are huddled together.

"I'm glad you came, Joan," The priest states, standing behind Joan.

"Why am I supposed to be here?" Joan asks.

"For the family," God states and heads toward Will and Helen.

Joan sits in the last row, next to Luke. Kevin had positioned himself in the aisle. God walked up to Will and Helen.

"Hello," God stated with a smile from ear to ear.

"I'm Will Girardi, and this is my wife, Helen," Will said, shaking God's hand.

"Hi," Helen smiled.

"Um,… I'm Pastor Smith. Common name, I know," God stated.

"It's nice to meet you," Will and Helen said, almost in unison. Will motions Helen toward the back bench where Joan, Luke, and Kevin were already seated.

Everyone else takes a seat and God/Pastor Smith walks up to the podium to begin the service.

"I'm glad to see all of you this morning, and I'm grateful that Mr. And Mrs. Girardi and their family are joining us," God/Pastor Smith states.

The Girardis are on their way back to the cabin. Kevin is slowing wheeling along. Joan walks beside him. Luke has his arm around his mother who is tearing up, because of God/Pastor Smith's sermon. Will is striding along beside Luke. They reach the cabin. No one has said a word on the way back, because of the moving sermon.

"What do we want for lunch?" Will asks. When he doesn't get a respond he adds, "I'll fix anything you guys want."

"There's a frozen pizza in the freezer," Helen states.

"Is that what we want?" Will asks.

"Sure," Kevin replies.

"Whatever," Joan says.

They walk inside. Will begins to make lunch. Helen goes over to him.

"Thank you for making lunch," she whispers in his ear.

"Happy to do it," he replies and leans forward to kiss her cheek, but Helen has already moved to a place on the couch.

Joan and Luke come and sit beside her. Kevin rolls up beside Joan. Helen turns on the television set and pressed the play button. The movie 'White Christmas' starts to play. A few moments later lunch is ready. Everyone moves to the table. Ty comes out of his room.

"Hey, Go… Ty," Joan states.

"Hello, Joan," he replies.

Ty moves and sits between Helen and Kevin.

"Hope you like frozen pizza," Will states with a vulgar tone, still mad at Ty.

"Will…" Helen complains.

"It's okay. One of my favorite meals," Ty replies with a smile.

They go through lunch without much of a conversation. Helen occasionally complains about Will's tone and manners. Ty and Joan have a short conversation about anchovies. Kevin tells a few jokes. Everyone laughs, except Will and Helen. Luke tries to explain hypothermia to Ty.

After lunch, Helen is upstairs taking a nap. Joan, Kevin, Luke, and Ty are playing a board game. Will is sitting in an easy chair, reading a book. He sets his book down for a moment. The magazine that Helen had been previously reading, caught his eye. He picked it up and turned to a marked page. It was the quiz. He glanced through it, shuddering at some of the answers. He reads the bottom, "It's Both of You."

Helen comes downstairs. Will is about to go and question her about the magazine, when there is a knock on the door.

"Who could that be?" Will asked.

Will walks over to the door and opens it. There, in the doorway, stands a cop. Will doesn't know what to say or ask. "May I help you?" he asks.

"I'm sorry. I'm Detective Peters." the cop states.

"Will Girardi. Is there a problem, Detective?" Will asks.

"May I come in?" Detective Peters asks, not responding to the question. He looks around the room until his eyes glue on Ty Parker. "We've been looking for you for months," Peters states.

"I don't know what your talking about," Ty responds.

"Michael Jones, you're arrested for the murder of Kitty Williams, Meredith Holmes, and Loretta Davies."

"What's going on?" Helen asked Will, as she rushed over to him.

"I don't know," Will responded.

"You mean, you didn't know he was a serial killer?" Peters asked.

"What?" Joan questioned, knowing that Ty or Michael, whatever, was really God.

"It's okay, Joan," Ty/Michael/God stated. "Everything happens for a reason."

"No, we did not know he was a serial killer," Will said. "Otherwise we would've notified the police."

"Um,… Lieutenant. You might want to come and check this out," Peters yelled out the door.

A car door shuts. The Girardis hear the 'clip, clop' of shoes coming up the front walk and up the front stairs. Suddenly, a woman, about five foot-three with curly blonde hair, appears at the door.

"Will Girardi?" Lucy Preston asks.

TBC End Chapter Six… Seven should be coming shortly.


	7. Chapter 7

"Oh, my God," Helen mumbled.  
"It'll be okay," Will whispered to his wife.  
"I expected better out of you, Detective," Lucy stated to Will.  
"I'm sorry, Ms. Preston," Peters stated.  
"Not, you," She replied.  
"Oh," Peters said.  
Lucy paced around the room, contemplating the situation. "Take him to the car," She stated to Peters.  
"Yes, ma'am," He replied.  
"Boy has she got him under her belt," Will said to Helen "I wouldn't be surprised if that were literal," she replied.  
"Helen…" Will complained.  
"I'm sorry, Will. I just can't handle her"  
"Excuse me, Lieutenant," Peters said. "We can't get the cars started. It must be too cold outside"  
"Looks like we're bunkering here for the night," she responded.  
"I'm sorry, what?" Helen asked.  
"You don't mind if we stay, do you?" Lucy replied with another question.  
"Of course not. Make yourselves at home," Will stated.  
"Thank you," Lucy responded.  
A while later, when everyone was settled in, there was another knock on the door.  
"Great," Helen sighs.  
Will goes to the door. A man slightly shorter than he is standing in the doorway.  
"Lucy!" he yells and runs inside.  
"Nick?" Lucy questions him. "What are you doing here"  
"I want you to take me back," Nick Thompson pleads, kneeling down in front of Lucy clinging to her hands.  
"What? Did your latest girlfriend go off to college?" Lucy asks, not very sympathetic.  
"Mock if you will," Nick states.  
"I'm not taking you back"  
"Please. Give me another chance"  
"You don't deserve another chance.  
Helen and Will have been giving each other puzzled looks.  
The rest of the afternoon creeps slowly. They have dinner and most of the officers have fallen asleep. Joan, Kevin, and Luke have already gone to bed. Will and Helen are sitting at the dinner table along with Lucy and Nick. Nick tries to wrap his arm around Lucy, but she just moves away from him. Ty/Michael/God is tied at the wrists and is leaned up against a wall, asleep as well. Will helps Helen up from her chair, and they head upstairs.  
Will us sitting on the edge of the bed, untying his shoes. Helen walks in from the bathroom, obviously stressed. She rummages through her suitcase, takes her curlers out, and obsessively fluffs her hair.  
"What's wrong?" Will asked.  
"What do you mean, 'What's wrong'?" replied Helen.  
"You just seem… impulsive," responded Will.  
"Impulsive"  
Helen continues to fidget with the lace on her top. Will chuckles to himself. He stands and goes over to Helen. He places his hands on her hips. She looks at him with tired eyes. Will pulls her into a hug. At first, Helen remains still, then she wraps her arms around his neck.  
"I just can't stand her," Helen whispered in Will's ear.  
"I know…" Will states.  
The hug breaks. Will unties Helen's bath robe and helps her out of it. He gently fold it and places it in one of the dresser drawers. Helen slides into bed and slips under the covers. She reaches over and turns off the lamp on the nightstand beside the bed. Will changes into his night apparel and climbs into bed, as well.  
"Helen?" Will inquires.  
"Hhmm?" Helen responds, already half asleep.  
"I,… uh… found this magazine, today. And I wanted to talk to you about it"  
Helen doesn't respond.  
"Helen?" Will inquires, again. He moves closer to her and realizes that she is asleep. He smiles. He, then, leans down and kisses Helen on the cheek.  
In the middle of the night, Helen starts to toss and turn. 'Escape (The Pina Colada Song)' starts to play in the background.  
Helen wakes up on a sandy beach. Nothing but her, the waves, and the sand. She stands and looks down the beach in both directions. Suddenly, she sees Will and calls after him. When she doesn't get a respond, she starts to worry.  
"Will," she calls.  
Lucy Preston walks up behind him. Will puts his hand around her waist.  
"Will? What are you doing?" Helen asks him.  
Then, a tall teenager with curly blonde hair walks up next to Will. A ten-year-old girl with long dark hair runs up to Lucy. They all turn from Helen and walk away.  
"Will!" Helen cries.  
"Helen…" a voice states from behind her.  
It's Ty/Michael/God. He goes to reach for her, but Helen turns and runs.  
"Helen…" he states again.  
She just keeps running.  
"Helen. Helen. Helen, wake up," she hears Will say.  
Helen awakes.  
"You were having a bad dream," Will tells her.  
Helen grabs a hold of Will, who is only half awake.  
"What's wrong?" he asks her.  
Helen just holds Will very tightly.  
"Okay… It's alright," Will soothes Helen. He lays back down and Helen goes with him.  
The next morning, Helen wakes up in Will's arms. She looks up and notices that he is reading a book, but he still has his one arm wrapped around her.  
"What are you doing?" Helen asks, sitting up to Will's level.  
"I didn't want to disturb you. You looked so peaceful. And after last night…" Will replied. He took off his reading glasses and removed his arm from around Helen. He looked at her and smiled, then kissed her on the forehead and headed downstairs. Helen sat upright in the bed with a perplexed look.  
Downstairs, it is very hectic. Lucy Preston and Detective Peters are organizing everything having to do with the 'Michael Jones' situation. Kevin, Joan, and Luke are eating leftover pizza. Will is just standing in the middle of the room. Helen descends from upstairs wearing a beautiful floral blouse and khaki pants. Detective Peters is moving Michael Jones to the car, when he Michael Jones pulls a gun on Will. 


	8. Chapter 8

Everybody froze in shock.

"Nobody move!" shouted Jones.

Will steps back with his hands up. Joan closes her eyes and prays: "God. Why are you doing this? What's going to happen?"

Ty/Michael/God turns to Joan and says, " Everything happens for a reason. It'll be alright." He, then, cocked the gun and put his finger on the trigger. He pointed the gun at Will. Helen took a deep breath and walked over to Will.

"Helen, what are you doing?" Will asked.

Helen stood in front of Will.

"So be it," Michael stated and pointed the gun at Helen, who closed her eyes.

"Helen?" Will asked again, very worried.

Lucy slowly and quietly crept up behind Michael. She jumps onto him. He falls to the ground and the gun fires.

Bang.


	9. Chapter 9

Helen falls onto Will, who helps her to the ground. Lucy rushes over. Detective Peters moves Michael out of the cabin.

"Helen…" Will sobs.

"Where were you hit?" Lucy asks, trying to move Will out of the way.

"Foot," was all that Helen managed to get out.

Sure enough. Her foot was soaked in blood.

"Somebody call an ambulance!" Lucy yelled.

Helen, then, fainted and was unconscious.

A few moments later, an ambulance arrived. Helen was placed on a stretcher and taken away.

"Let me go with her," Will pleaded.

"There's no point. You won't be able to see her until tonight, anyways. Have the kids pack everything. They can ride up with Detective Peters," Lucy stated.

"What about the car?" Will asked.

"I'll drive."

On the way to the hospital, there was complete silence.

"She'll be fine," Lucy assured Will.

He didn't respond.

"How about some music, shall we?" Lucy stated while turning on the radio.

Will, Kevin, Joan, and Luke are sitting in the waiting room, waiting for answers. The doctor comes to greet them. Will stands and hopes for the best.


	10. Chapter 10

"You may go and see her now," the doctor stated.

"She's okay?" Will questioned.

"Oh, yeah. She's fine. Gun shot to the foot. We bandaged her up. She'll limp for a while, but it'll eventually get better."

"Kids… you go see her. I'll be in in a few minutes," Will stated to Kevin, Joan, and Luke. He turned to the doctor. "Thank you."

"Sure," the doctor stated and left the area.

Will walked over to Detective Peters and Lucy Preston. "Thank you, Detective. For your help," he remarked and shook Peters' hand. "Lucy… Thanks."

"No problem," Lucy replied.

In the hospital room, Kevin, Joan, and Luke are crowded around Helen's bed.

"You sure you're alright?" Joan timidly asks.

"Of course, sweetie," Helen responded as she ran her fingers through Joan's hair.

"I love you," Joan said and kissed her mother on the cheek.

Kevin takes Helen by the hand. "I love you," he stated.

"I love you, too," Helen replied and kissed his hand.

Joan and Kevin exited the room, leaving Luke in there with Helen. Luke pulls a chair over next to the bed.

"What is it?" Helen asked him.

"Nothing… I was just so afraid I would never see you again," he replied.

"Oh, baby…"

Helen starts to cry. Luke gets up and gives his mother a hug.

"I love you, Mom," Luke stated.

"I love you, too," Helen sobbed and kissed Luke on the forehead.

Luke left the room. Helen covered her face with her hands and bawled.

Will is pacing the waiting room, when Kevin, Joan, and Luke came and met him.

"Your turn," Joan said softly.

"Let's go get some dinner," Will stated.

"What? You have to go see her," Kevin demanded.

"I will. I was just thinking that we could go and pick up some fast food, then bring her something back."

"Sounds like a plan," Kevin said.

No more than thirty minutes later, the Girardis arrived back at the hospital. Will carried a Wendy's bag into Helen's room. She looks up from her newspaper and smiles. Will walks over to her and hands her the bag.

"Here," he states.

"Aww. Thank you," she replied.

'Sure."

Will sat down on the bed. Helen pulled out a cheeseburger from the bag.

"Just how I like it," she smiles.

"I know," Will responds.

Helen starts eating the burger. Will looks depressed. She finishes chewing her one bite.

"What's the matter?" she asks.

"I found the magazine…" Will states.

Helen freezes. She moves the burger and the bag to the table next to her bed.

"It's nothing," she says.

"Helen," Will states and takes her by the hand, "it's obviously something."

Helen's eyes fill with tears.

"I'm so sorry," Will states.

"Oh… it's not just you. It's…" Helen starts.

"Yeah. I read it," Will chuckled.

"I just…" Helen started again.

"Helen. I know I haven't been the best husband, recently. I don't know what's wrong with me. But, I do love you. You're everything I've ever wanted in a woman, and you always will be."

Helen starts to cry. Will lies down next to her and puts his arms around her.

"I'm sorry," Helen says.

"Oh,… honey," Will soothes.

She cries on his shoulder.

Kevin, Joan, and Luke come through the door and see Will and Helen. Joan smiles, as do Kevin and Luke.

XXXXX

The End: Snowed In. TBC. Look for _Christmas to Christmas_: Coming Soon!


End file.
